UIUC PSYC 230 Test 1: Questions With Expert-Level
Solutions
The ability to detect a stimulus and, perhaps, to turn that detection into a
private experience. Correct Answer - Sensation
The act of giving meaning to a detected sensation. Correct Answer -
Perception
In philosophy, private conscious experiences of sensation or perception.
Correct Answer - qualia
the idea that the mind has an existence separate from the material world of
the body. Correct Answer - dualism
The idea that the only thing that exists is matter, and that all things, including
the mind and consciousness, are the results of interaction between bits of
matter. Correct Answer - Materialism
The idea that the mind exists as a property of al matter- that is, that all matter
has consciousness Correct Answer - panpsychism
The science of defining quantitative relationships between physical and
psychological (subjective) events Correct Answer - psychophysics
The minimum distance at which two stimuli (e.g. 2 simultaneous touches) are
just perceptible as separate Correct Answer - two-lint touch threshold
Also known as the difference threshold
The smallest detectable difference between two stimuli, or the minimum
change in a stimulus that enables it to be correctly judged as different from a
reference stimulus. Correct Answer - just noticeable difference (JND)
The constant (K) of proportionality in Weber's Law.
For weight: 1:40
Line length: 1:100 Correct Answer - Weber fraction
,The principle describing the relationship between stimulus and resulting
sensation that says the JND is a constant fraction (K) of the comparison
stimulus. Correct Answer - Weber's Law
A principle describing the relationship between stimulus and resulting
sensation that says the magnitude of subjective sensation increases
proportionally to the logarithm of the stimulus intensity
- S = k log (R)
S= psychological sensation R= physical stimulus
k= constant Correct Answer - Fechner's Law
- invented psychophysics
- thought by some to be the true founder of experimental psychology
Correct Answer - Gustav Fechner
The minimum amount of stimulation necessary for a person to detect a
stimulus 50% of the time Correct Answer - absolute threshold
A psychophysical method in which many stimuli, ranging from rarely to
almost always perceivable (or rarely to almost always perceivably different
from a reference stimulus), are presented one at a time. Participants respond
to each presentation: "yes/no," "same/different," and so on. Correct Answer
- Method of constant stimuli
The magnitude of a single stimulus or the difference between two stimuli is
varied incrementally until the participant responds differently
- The experimenter begins with the same set of stimuli-- in this case, tones
that vary in intensity. Instead of random presentations, tones are presented in
order of increasing or decreasing intensity.
- ascending: asked to report when tone is first detected
- descending : report when tone is no longer audible Correct Answer -
Methods of limits
Similar to the method of limits, but the participant controls the stimulus
directly
- subject is the one who steadily increases or decreases the intensity of the
stimulus Correct Answer - Method of adjustment
, The participant assigns values according to perceived magnitudes of the
stimuli
- EX: give observers series of sugar solutions and ask them to assign numbers
to each sample.
- i.e. Solution 2 is 2x as sweet as Solution 1 Correct Answer - Magnitude
estimation
Magnitude estimates are well described by ________________ .
- S = aI^(b)
(S) is related to stimulus intensity
(I) by an exponent (b)
- A principle describing the relationship between the stimulus and resulting
sensation that says the magnitude of subjective sensation is proportional to
the stimulus magnitude raised to an exponent.
- exponent for brightness is 0.3, so change from 1 candle to 11 is quite
dramatic,
but adding 10 to 100 results in only a modest change
Adding 10 to 10,000 wouldn't even be noticeable
VS.
Apparent length = 1.0
- exponent for electric shock is quite large (3.5), meaning that the pain grows
with I^(3.5), so a 4-fold increase in the electrical current is experienced as a
128-fold increase in pain Correct Answer - Stevens' power law
Weber's law: involves a clear objective measurement . We know how much we
varied the stimulus, and either the observers can tell that the stimulus
changed or they cannot.
Fechner's law: begins with same objective measurements as Weber's, but the
law is actually a calculation based on some assumptions about how sensation
works.
- assumes that all JNDs are perceptually equivalent
Solutions
The ability to detect a stimulus and, perhaps, to turn that detection into a
private experience. Correct Answer - Sensation
The act of giving meaning to a detected sensation. Correct Answer -
Perception
In philosophy, private conscious experiences of sensation or perception.
Correct Answer - qualia
the idea that the mind has an existence separate from the material world of
the body. Correct Answer - dualism
The idea that the only thing that exists is matter, and that all things, including
the mind and consciousness, are the results of interaction between bits of
matter. Correct Answer - Materialism
The idea that the mind exists as a property of al matter- that is, that all matter
has consciousness Correct Answer - panpsychism
The science of defining quantitative relationships between physical and
psychological (subjective) events Correct Answer - psychophysics
The minimum distance at which two stimuli (e.g. 2 simultaneous touches) are
just perceptible as separate Correct Answer - two-lint touch threshold
Also known as the difference threshold
The smallest detectable difference between two stimuli, or the minimum
change in a stimulus that enables it to be correctly judged as different from a
reference stimulus. Correct Answer - just noticeable difference (JND)
The constant (K) of proportionality in Weber's Law.
For weight: 1:40
Line length: 1:100 Correct Answer - Weber fraction
,The principle describing the relationship between stimulus and resulting
sensation that says the JND is a constant fraction (K) of the comparison
stimulus. Correct Answer - Weber's Law
A principle describing the relationship between stimulus and resulting
sensation that says the magnitude of subjective sensation increases
proportionally to the logarithm of the stimulus intensity
- S = k log (R)
S= psychological sensation R= physical stimulus
k= constant Correct Answer - Fechner's Law
- invented psychophysics
- thought by some to be the true founder of experimental psychology
Correct Answer - Gustav Fechner
The minimum amount of stimulation necessary for a person to detect a
stimulus 50% of the time Correct Answer - absolute threshold
A psychophysical method in which many stimuli, ranging from rarely to
almost always perceivable (or rarely to almost always perceivably different
from a reference stimulus), are presented one at a time. Participants respond
to each presentation: "yes/no," "same/different," and so on. Correct Answer
- Method of constant stimuli
The magnitude of a single stimulus or the difference between two stimuli is
varied incrementally until the participant responds differently
- The experimenter begins with the same set of stimuli-- in this case, tones
that vary in intensity. Instead of random presentations, tones are presented in
order of increasing or decreasing intensity.
- ascending: asked to report when tone is first detected
- descending : report when tone is no longer audible Correct Answer -
Methods of limits
Similar to the method of limits, but the participant controls the stimulus
directly
- subject is the one who steadily increases or decreases the intensity of the
stimulus Correct Answer - Method of adjustment
, The participant assigns values according to perceived magnitudes of the
stimuli
- EX: give observers series of sugar solutions and ask them to assign numbers
to each sample.
- i.e. Solution 2 is 2x as sweet as Solution 1 Correct Answer - Magnitude
estimation
Magnitude estimates are well described by ________________ .
- S = aI^(b)
(S) is related to stimulus intensity
(I) by an exponent (b)
- A principle describing the relationship between the stimulus and resulting
sensation that says the magnitude of subjective sensation is proportional to
the stimulus magnitude raised to an exponent.
- exponent for brightness is 0.3, so change from 1 candle to 11 is quite
dramatic,
but adding 10 to 100 results in only a modest change
Adding 10 to 10,000 wouldn't even be noticeable
VS.
Apparent length = 1.0
- exponent for electric shock is quite large (3.5), meaning that the pain grows
with I^(3.5), so a 4-fold increase in the electrical current is experienced as a
128-fold increase in pain Correct Answer - Stevens' power law
Weber's law: involves a clear objective measurement . We know how much we
varied the stimulus, and either the observers can tell that the stimulus
changed or they cannot.
Fechner's law: begins with same objective measurements as Weber's, but the
law is actually a calculation based on some assumptions about how sensation
works.
- assumes that all JNDs are perceptually equivalent
